Joe Rogan told cops that the “Liver King” appeared to be “unstable” – and that he heard the disgraced fitness influencer “has a significant drug issue,” according to a report.
The Austin Police Department was alerted to the influencer, whose real name is Brian Johnson, early Tuesday morning after he shared rant-filled Instagram videos discussing wanting to fight Rogan, police told The Independent.
Law enforcement contacted Rogan, 57, who said “he had never had any interaction with Johnson and considered the posts to be threatening.” Police later arrested Johnson, who is known for his “ancestral” diet of raw meat and organs, on charges of making a terroristic threat.
Meanwhile, Rogan told cops he didn’t know why Johnson, 47, seemed to “be targeting him,” but that he had heard the fitness influencer “has a significant drug issue,” according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The podcaster also told authorities that, based on what he’d seen of Johnson’s recent Instagram posts, he “appears to be significantly unstable and seems like he needs help.”
Police arrested Johnson on Tuesday night in Rogan’s hometown of Austin, where he traveled to try and challenge the former “Fear Factor” host to a fight.
Johnson was charged with making a terroristic threat, which is a misdemeanor. He was held on a $20,000 bond, but appeared to be out by Wednesday night as he continued to upload more video rants on Instagram.
His earlier videos, shared on Monday, showed Johnson shirtless and challenging Rogan to a fight.
“Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out, my name’s Liver King. Man to man, I’m picking a fight with you,” he said.
“I have no training in jiu-jitsu, you’re a black belt, you should dismantle me. But I’m picking a fight with you. Your rules, I’ll come to you, whenever you’re ready.”
Following his release, Johnson made note of his arrest in an Instagram video, but referred to Rogan only as “some guy.” Meanwhile, Rogan has not publicly commented on Johnson’s arrest.
The “Liver King” was forced to admit in 2022 that his chiseled physique was not a result of his “ancestral” diet of raw meat and unprocessed organs, but rather from having spent over $11,000 a month on steroids.
He faced a $25 million lawsuit from enraged customers who accused him of fraud and deception, though it was ultimately dropped.
While Rogan never hosted Johnson on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, he had criticized the fitness influencer’s dishonesty about his use of steroids.
Johnson was also the subject of the Netflix documentary “Untold: The Liver King,” which came out earlier this year.
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